The Story

Elsie needs orthopedic surgery to repair a right rear femoral fracture (broken leg). The fracture is misaligned, so it needs to be reduced and aligned using pins, a plate, and cerclage (wire) to set the fracture. VSS estimates the cost of the surgery to be from $2,000 to $2,500 to repair the leg. If we do not raise enough funds for the surgery, her leg will have to be amputated. Cats do not have the emotional attachment to limbs that humans do, and they do quite well with only three legs, but Elsie is young and the leg can be repaired, so we want to give her the best chance possible.

The Story of Elsie

Walking to my car after work in downtown St Louis, a beautiful grey tabby sitting under the tree at the edge of a parking lot caught my eye. When I said hi to her, she tried to come toward me and I saw that her leg was hurt. I looked her over carefully, then called all the rescues I knew, finding them all full or closed. I went home, gathered some food and water, and my husband and I picked her up from the lot. She was immediately trusting. When my husband sat beside her she promptly started nuzzling his hand and purring. She was even easy to get into the cat carrier and was a perfect passenger on the ride home. Her back leg was definitely hurt. There were no open wounds, but her leg was limp and hung at an odd angle, and she couldn't put any weight on it. She also had a hairless spot on her head—which we thought was a scar but later would start growing hair again. She was definitely undernourished, so we offered her water, food and treats, but she was most interested in affection (and probably feeling safe after being stranded at a loud, hot and busy downtown parking lot). Posting on social media came up dry in finding her people, and though she was microchipped, all the contact information ended in wrong numbers. With help from Stray Haven, we were able to get her checked out by the vet who x-rayed her leg to find a severe break in her upper leg. We can't be sure what happened to her, whether it was an old or recent injury, but doctor determined that the only options were surgery or amputation.

Without many clues how long she'd been on the street before she came to us, today, she's regained a healthy appetite and has a bright spirit, despite having the badly fractured leg. We think she is still a very young cat, and is certainly a survivor. She is very playful and friendly, despite the pain she must be in. Cuddles and love are still her favorite activities with us, and the happy chirps she makes are the absolute best. She is very gentle with her claws and very generous with head-butts, nuzzles, and letting us rub her tummy. We hope to get her leg fixed soon to get her out of pain and up-and-about again.

Fundraiser Updates

Posted on August 16, 2016

Posted on August 16, 2016

Great news! Upon further evaluation by a VSS orthopedic specialist, it was determined that Elsie does not need surgery! If you would like your donation refunded, please send an email to [email protected] by 8/26/2016 with the subject line "Elsie - refund" and include information regarding the manner in which your donation was sent. If you wish for your donation to be set aside and used for a future emergency for another cat in need, no contact is required, and we thank you for your generosity.